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Meets Expectations:
3.6 out Of 5
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92%
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  1. katiespen
    Greer, SC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    A New Perspective on an Age-Old Story
    September 22, 2015
    katiespen
    Greer, SC
    Age: 25-34
    Gender: female
    Quality: 5
    Value: 5
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty.
    I have to confess that when I first started reading this book, I questioned the author's motives behind it. The Bible never says that David raped Bathsheba, and I almost closed the book and set off to write a scathing review. But I decided to look a little deeper into the "man after God's own heart." The more I read and considered and meditated on the story, the more I could conclude that there was a good possibility that David did, indeed, rape Bathsheba, although it would have been considered entirely acceptable for a king to take whatever women he wanted.

    Hunt does a great job of portraying the story in a completely new light, causing the reader to dive back into God's Word to reevaluate the story for himself. In fact, she does a great job of painting a much clearer picture of King David and the sinful man he truly was. This in-depth look at King David's life kept bringing me back to the fact that God still called him "a man after His own heart." What a merciful God!

    I believe that most people, myself included, often see Bathsheba as a sort of harlot, since she was the one bathing out where the king could see her. But Hunt does a wonderful job of exploring the historical customs of the day, including bathing in one's own garden. She also gives an added beauty to Bathsheba as the reader sees a woman who learned to love a man who stole her innocence, raped her of body and soul, and killed her beloved husband. No wonder Bathsheba became a part of the line of Christ!

    I think my only real problem with the book that I just could never wrap my mind around was the way the author portrayed the prophet, Nathan. There doesn't seem to be any reason that I could find for the author to portray the prophet as being in love with Bathsheba. She was very beautiful, but that doesn't mean that every single man in the town was in love with her. I guess it made Nathan seem to have ulterior motives for chastising David. I also didn't like the way that the author portrayed Nathan's visions from God, especially when he himself saw Bathsheba bathing in the vision (although she says he turned his head). She seems to go too far when portraying the prophet, and I would love to know if she actually has research to back her impression of him as I couldn't seem to find anything to support the character he portrayed in this particular book.

    Overall, I was intrigued with this story and would like to see more from this author.

    *I was provided a copy of this book by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review.
  2. Melissa
    4 Stars Out Of 5
    A Reminder of God's Redeeming Love
    September 7, 2015
    Melissa
    Quality: 4
    Value: 4
    Meets Expectations: 5
    This review was written for Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty.
    The story of Bathsheba and David has always fascinated me. Maybe due to my own past and the knowledge that David did these horrible things yet God says he is a man after His own heart.

    Ive never given a lot of thought to how Bathsheba might have felt. I didnt want to think of King David as raping her. I have to admit I didnt like reading how selfish David was in taking Bathsheba, giving no thought to her or her husband but taking what he wanted. Of course, this is one authors interpretation of the events but in reality, its very likely Bathsheba was forced and wouldnt dare say no to the King.

    I never thought about how Bathsheba might have really loved her husband and the heartbreak that would follow his death.

    The author made me think of all of these things and much more.

    The book covers much more than the encounter between David and Bathsheba. It also weaves in the curse on Davids family after this sin and how it impacted his kingdom. I loved being reminded of these other events, it made me want to crack open my Bible and refresh my memory.

    I really enjoyed the take on this story and how the author handled the situation and the overall love that can come from even horrible things. I also loved how Bathsheba was reminded of her past many times throughout her life but believed God can redeem all things. So true :)

    A e-copy of this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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